HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS — The NBA’s deans of discipline handed down a most appropriate fine for Metta World Peace‘s elbow to James Harden‘s head that caused a concussion and 48 hours of on unnecessary pain and suffering for the game of basketball.

Lakers fans might not feel that way, but if they remove those purple-and-gold-colored glasses for just a minute, they’ll realize that justice was served in this instance.

Unlike some hardliners, we saw no reason for World Peace to suffer through a 10-game suspension or the lifetime ban some were calling for (yes, we’ve read all of your comments and emails on the subject). That would have been excessive, even for a player with as checkered a past as World Peace.

It’s clear the league took into account all of the good deedshe’s done and the way, up until Sunday at least, he’s conducted himself within the lines the past few seasons. NBA Commissioner David Stern could have dropped the hammer on World Peace this time and met with little resistance in the court of public opinion outside of Lakerland.

Unlike World Peace, someone took the time to consider all of the options instead of just reacting in the heat of the moment. Instead of listening to the tide of discontent surrounding this latest act and using his extensive history of running afoul of the league’s code of conduct for all players, someone at the league office decided not to make an example of World Peace when they so easily could have.

Seven games might seem harsh to some, but in this day and age of bounties in the NFL and the like, seven games seems more than appropriate. And the Lakers’ acceptance of the penalty (and their continued support of World Peace) would indicate that they recognize as much and ready to try to move on from this incident.

And to his credit, World Peace did the classy thing and apologized to the Thunder and their fans for what happened on his website. Despite suggestions to the contrary, he is fully aware of what went down and seems genuinely contrite for allowing his emotions to get the best of him yet again. We’re not here to condemn the man for that. In fact, we applaud him for recognizing that and handling himself the right way now.

The Lakers got luckier than Harden, the Oklahoma City player who walked into World Peace’s animal rage Sunday afternoon and will wobble into the postseason with a concussion.

The Lakers got luckier than the Thunder, which will have to face World Peace again if the teams meet in the second round of the playoffs. His suspension could end just in time for him to mock them with his presence.

The Lakers got so lucky with the NBA’s announcement Tuesday, it is the conspiracy theorists who will now be thumping their chests and flexing their biceps.

Theory one: The NBA wants the Lakers in the playoffs as long as possible, so it was rigged for World Peace to miss only one meaningless regular-season game and a first-round series with the eminently beatable Denver Nuggets or Dallas Mavericks.

Theory two: The NBA still feels so lousy about stealing Chris Paul from the Lakers backcourt, it owes them one.

While both explanations are absolutely silly, so is the length of this suspension. For the rest of the postseason, everyone outside of this city is going to be wondering why.

What exactly were league officials doing during the two days it took to make this decision? They certainly weren’t watching the videotape, which grows more gruesome with every viewing.

SPORTS WORLD DEMANDS ATHLETES OPERATE ON THIS EDGE

Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register: As much as part of World Peace wants to crusade for mental-health counseling and tell jokes that make everyone smile, another part just wants to be special in the only way he has been made to feel special his whole life.

It is with vivid recollection that I can still see the young Ron Artest defending the young Kobe Bryant on Chicago’s United Center court as no one ever did. Right up on Kobe, even way out on the perimeter, unafraid of any elbow to his face, unworried about the possibility of being blown by.

It was primal, powerful. It was as aggressive as I’ve ever seen anyone be in the NBA.

Where does that come from?

Maybe it comes from inside. Maybe it comes from the Queensbridge Houses, the country’s largest public-housing project. Artest has shared so much of his back story that one could rightly wonder if it came from liquid courage, because he confessed he would drink Hennessy scotch before some Bulls games.

Alcohol, though, would only dilute the purity of him at his best – focused on being fearless even more than being locked in on his man and the ball.

As distasteful as it is to say now, the honest answer is that it’s a model for what we want in our athletes.

Be more aggressive, Steve Blake. Be more aggressive, Andrew Bynum. Definitely be more aggressive, Pau.

For you kids out there, we’ve got a cheerleader chant for you to remember.

It’s the upper hand Artest has always had and given his teams – and it’s why Bryant had that very talk with World Peace earlier this season about reviving that old snarl and roar.

Be more aggressive, Metta World Peace, Bryant said. That’s the edge we need from you if we’re going to win another championship.

STOUT PENALTY DEEMED FAIR IN OKC

Berry Tramel of the Oklahoman: The NBA finally ruled on Metta World Chaos. Seven-game suspension for an elbow assault that gave James Harden a brain bruise and the state of Oklahoma a new Public Enemy No. 1.

Whether that’s hung, drawn and quartered or merely sent to bed without his supper depends upon your address.

In the Hollywood Hills, they yell foul for too harsh a penalty. In Nichols Hills, they yell not harsh enough. Nothing short of a lifetime banishment would appease the Big Blue mob.

Best to go to the man who always talks straight.

“I think it’s fair for what he done,” said the Thunder’s Kendrick Perkins, no choir boy himself but also no brain bruiser, so far as I know. “A play that was uncalled for. Could have seriously injured someone.”

Make no mistake. A seven-game suspension is stout.

The Laker cuckoo bird will miss the regular-season finale at Sacramento on Thursday, then Los Angeles’ first six playoff games, provided the Lakers last that long.

Don’t laugh. Without Chaos, the Lakers’ task against Denver or Dallas just got a lot tougher. The Nuggets’ Danilo Gallinari is a happy man today, knowing Chaos won’t be in his grill should Denver draw LA. And if it’s the Mavs, what do the Lakers do when Dallas goes small? Chaos won’t be there to guard Dirk Nowitzki.

PUNISHMENT A NOD TO PROGRESS WORLD PEACE HAS MADE

Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com: Punishment, whether it be in a court of law or in sport, is designed as much to send a message and act as a deterrent as it is to serve as penance for an unlawful act.

But the NBA had two messages to consider when disciplining World Peace: protecting its players from violent acts on the court, particularly those directed at the head, while also taking into account how hard World Peace has worked to rehabilitate himself and his image after his 86-game suspension for his involvement in the infamous brawl in Detroit in 2004.

By suspending him seven games — effectively taking him out of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs — the NBA managed to both underscore how seriously it takes player safety, and give World Peace some credit for the therapeutic work he has done on his emotional issues and his very public work to raise mental health awareness.

Had this incident happened three years ago, before World Peace began to show he had taken his previous disciplinary situations seriously and tried to learn from them, it’s easy to see the NBA acting far more severely with him. He probably would have been suspended for the rest of the year or even longer.

Of course, had it been another player, with no history or disciplinary issues, the suspension might have been far shorter.

All of which explains why the NBA took its time with this. As one executive told me Monday, “They’re not soliciting opinions on this. Everybody in the league already has an opinion. They just have a lot to think about.”

PENALTY LEAVES LAKERS SHORTHANDED

Elliott Teaford of the Los Angeles Daily News: Coach Mike Brown said Tuesday he spoke to World Peace about Sunday’s incident and heard him tell the same story he told reporters in a brief statement after the game, after which he declined to take questions.

“He said he went up and dunked the ball,” Brown said. “He said he was celebrating. As he came down the floor, he said he hit the kid with an elbow. He said it was an accident. Whether it was an accident or not, I don’t know.

“Should that have happened? No, it shouldn’t have happened.”

The absence of World Peace for seven games plus injuries to his backups will leave the Lakers (41-24) short-handed at small forward for the start of the playoffs, which are expected to begin Sunday.

Matt Barnes‘ sprained right ankle is still too sore to allow him to make the trip Thursday to Sacramento, according to a Lakers spokesman. Barnes was hurt on a drive to the basket in the first half of Sunday’s game.

Devin Ebanks bruised the middle and ring fingers on his left hand during a weightlifting mishap Tuesday. He said he dropped a 55-pound weight on his fingers, which were taped as he left the practice facility.

Ebanks said he planned to play with a protective splint on his fingers.

Kobe Bryant could shift from shooting guard to small forward in the absence of World Peace and Barnes, and backup point guard Steve Blake could shift to shooting guard, although Bryant joked the switch would be too much for him.

Andy Kamenetzky of ESPNLosAngeles.com: Any way you slice it, Metta’s unavailability makes the Lakers considerably worse, even vulnerable for a first-round exit. At full strength, I’d take the Lakers over Denver or Dallas, the latter in perhaps five games. Without MWP, a series victory remains possible, but that outcome is nonetheless jeopardized. (And on the odd chance Lakers happen to drop to the 4-seed and face the Grizzlies, I’m not terribly confident they can beat Memphis with Metta, much less without him.)

Moving forward, I also wonder if this incident could jeopardize MWP’s future in L.A. The Lakers still have their amnesty provision available, and given how the bottom line has greatly influenced trades and roster decisions, it figures the front office will at least consider pulling that trigger to shed salary. The prime candidates are either Blake or MWP. From a pure basketball perspective, assuming Sessions is on the roster next season, Blake is the obvious choice. He’s generally underwhelmed as a Laker and Darius Morris is waiting in the wings, making the veteran potentially expendable. MWP, bouts with inconsistency acknowledged, has vastly outplayed him to boot. However, MWP makes considerably more money. Finances might squeeze Metta under normal circumstances, but when you consider this is the second consecutive season Metta’s temper has yielded a postseason cost, his contract could feel even pricier. Nobody gets into business with MWP expecting Swiss-watch reliability, but it’s reasonable to expect the guy to avoid being a loose cannon, especially during important moments. Using the amnesty clause on MWP could very well have been Plan A anyway, but I wouldn’t be shocked if this incident served as the proverbial “final straw.”

And finally, there’s the element of disappointment. Not even disappointment in World Peace, but rather for him as the failure to control bad impulses threaten to undercut positive steps taken in his life. I’ve expressed on many occasions my admiration for the strides he has made as a person and mental health advocate. Fueled by desire to make a positive mark in the world, he has opened up about the professional help and therapy he has received, lending a public face to an issue often unfairly mired with stigma. MWP’s efforts are important and have helped a lot of people, while in the process rehabilitating a once-radioactive image. This incident unfortunately represents steps backward, a mess that will inevitably overshadow for many his generally good intentions and genuinely good heart.

It’s a shame to see this image rehab hit a snag, but unfortunately that’s the position World Peace has placed himself in. And in the process, the Lakers will feel that pinch.

How much they’ll feel that pinch won’t be known until they hit the floor for the playoffs …

159 Comments

I was disappointed when the Lakers acquired Artest. I do feel he has helped them in the past play offs and admit he is a great defensive player. What i see in him is a man who needs help but because of his ability on court he may never get it until he is retired. Like people in the entertainment industry are allowed to self-destruct as long as they are making money for those involved with them so I feel that players in all sports are rewarded as long as they perform. Who cares about what is happening to them emotionally? Metta’s ups and downs show the symptoms of a patient who has episodes that are often seen in those battling mental issues. This isn’t always a self-control issue but can be chemical and physical. Being in sports with the intensity that comes both emotionally and physically may not be the best for him. It’s like an alcholic working in a bar trying to control himself. No one really cares about the man. H

10 Games would have been a better punishment. How are you going to elbow someone in the head like that. I didn’t look accidental to me. He had to know that he hit someone and he didnt even stop and look.

It’s in my honest opinion, Harden should charge him in criminal court. A couple months in ‘The Pokey’ might do him some good. He should not be called World Peace anymore either. I have been a Lakers fan for 48 years, and I would prefer they trade him to a team like Detroit. He would fit in perfectly there!

This is the nature of the game, if you watch the game you see Bynum being fouled by Westbrook under the rim. Westbrook tries to play it off but completely misses the ball hitting Bynum in the face. If you look at the replay you can clearly see Westbrook had no intention of hitting the ball. The Thunder are a proud bunch as they should be, but they should expect hard fouls being that they taunght the opposing team continusly. On the play harden was struck he had no reason to make contact with Artest being he was the offensive player.

Rique
April 25, 2012 at 11:44 am
Please… There were really on two choices here: 1) Suspend him until next season, or 2) Do what they did.
Why?
Anything beyond a first round suspension amounts to suspending him until next year because, without Metta, the Lakers’ chances of getting past OKC go from slim to none.
And for those who suggest the suspension should last for as long as Harden remains out,here are two interesting scenarios for you to ponder:
1) Harden returns for the first round. Metta will have served a one game suspension for that elbow.
2) Harden returns to face LA in the second round (sitting Harden against LA hurts OKC far more than sitting Metta hurts LA). Metta could have potential served only a 5 game suspension (last game of the regular season and an eminently possible sweep of Denver).

Neither of these scenarios could result in a harsher sentence (even if the first round miraculously goes 7, Metta will only have served 1 more game than the current sentence). The only way Metta could serve significantly more time is if Harden is unable to play until at least the Conference Finals. If you believe this is a possibility, you are either underestimating Harden’s value to OKC, his desire to play, or his toughness. Remember that Kobe played with a concussion after the All Star game and those games were far less meaningful than the playoffs.

Either way it doesn’t matter because neither will beat the Heat!

GO HEAT!!!!

^^^ lol.. good luck Miami Heat, seriously though I think they’ll be hard pressed to go past the knicks with the way new york is playing and definitely its le choke time for lebron once they face boston and the bulls. Bosh, Wade and Lebron all on one time and they cant even make No1 seed in the east maybe they need to get chris paul and blake griffin and make an all star team in miami. chris paul and/or kevin durant deserve the MVP. not lebron. not with wade and bosh by his side.

oh back to topic, yeah I think metta should have been suspended for the entire playoffs. definitely some good strategy here by mr. stern

Clearly the NBA took into account his troubled past, his rehabilitation, and this isolated incident and I think made a fair decision. The rest of you screaming for life time bans, and calling him an animla/thug etc… should probably get some objectivity. Also all this talk about a court of law yap yap yap… it’s a contact sport, a lot of the things that happen on the court could be considered an attack outside of it, get your heads out of the clouds.

Enough is enough. Ron has been given several chances already. I don’t think anyone should be allowed in the NBA with anger management problems. It puts the security of the other players at risk. He may be a good player, but he is not irreplaceable. Will he be banned from the NBA until he seriously hurts someone? I can not believe all he has done has been tolerated. The game suspensions and fines are like slapping a kid on the hand and telling him not to do it again. PLEASE! I am not a Laker fan nor OKC fan, but I happened to see the game. Since I am not a Laker fan, I didn’t know “World Peace” is Ron Artest. I remebered, I believe it was last year or the year before, when he also picked on J.J Barrera. It really made me mad that a guy his size could pick on a little guy.

Sekou–All Lakers fans do not feel the same way. Please don’t speak for all of us. I feel that he should be punished to the proper degree which is the responsibility of the league. I read your previous article and you know that a great deal of Lakers fans felt bad that such a thing happened. I hope I will never have to sit in judgement of you and most of your commenters.

The Wade comparison is totally un-related. Wade was trying to FOUL him by grabbing him. He did not elbow him just for the sake of elbowing or celebrating. I’ve watched Wade’s clip and it was very clear that he was trying to grab Kobe. He didn’t kick him or elbow his head to stop him.

MWP elbows when there’s no reason to but to show off his aggressiveness. Well, that’s totally un-called for and should be punished. I hope NBA doesn’t think it’s ok for one of the highest paid professional players in the world to celebrate by ELBOWING each other.

I think he should be banned to make an example. That is one hard elbow to the head. Nobody celebrates like that. It is so intentional that it is not even funny. Yes, he may not think that it was that hard of an elbow and that close to his head but the fact that he delivered that hard elbow, it deserves a much harsher punishment than 7-game. 7-game is a cake IMO.

I think it was WAY to Harsh. They have players getting in fights trying to hurt the other person. If you pay attention to the tape he wasn’t even looking at where he was swinging his elbow while others hit each other with there fist to hurt the other guy. They get 1 or 2 games suspension, 7 games? is way out of control but yet so is the entire NBA officials. On another note the NBA is as bad as Nazi Germany as your not allowed to complain against the officials of it will cost you of you can’t speak badly about the heads of the NBA… what is this Nazi Germany reborn as the NBA or the USA where supposed to have freedom of Speech? Back to point… I think he should have got about 2-3 games suspension for the foul… The League has way to much power as they even say who can play for what team…??? Not American in anyway… I Love the game but Hate the League…

Have to disagree with Sekou. You shouldn’t mix good and bad karma. IMO good karma shouldn’t be used to delete bad karma. However, sometimes karma works in mysterious ways. His penalty is some of the karma he received, but also is the hate that is directed towards him at this time. And that can’t be a good feeling.

Even as a lifetime Lakers fan, I think the elbow was uncalled for. HOWEVER it does not mean it wasn’t provoked. Is everyone forgetting that OKC was on OFFENSE at the time of the “flagrant elbow”. Why did Harden feel the need to initiate contact from MWP as he was celebrating, Now I can’t possibly understand why MWP felt the need to hit him as he did, but I can say if some one “ran up” on me as they are on OFFENSE and i was flailing my arms in celebration, i wouldn’t take extra precaution to not hit them either.

Suspending him for the rest of this season including ALL of the playoffs plus 5 games next year seems like the fair punishment. Also, they have make him change his name back to Ron Artest, for actual world peace’s sake.

I agree that a seven game suspension is fair. I also contend that James harden did not deserve an elbow to the side of the head. That being said, Harden is well known for running his mouth especially when playing the lakers. In the first two games of their matchups this season, Harden was seen putting his face just inches from Kobe’s. Ron artest took exception to this behavior months ago, lightly pushing harden away. Harden was six years old when he first saw Kobe on live tv playing basketball. The kid needs to learn some respect and unfortunately for him it came the hard way via the pound for pound largest player in the nba. I’m gonna let you guys in on a little secret.. Anyone who changes their name to Metta World Peace is an absolute maniac. People are quick to say that Harden was trying to get in his head, get a rise out of Ron, maybe draw a T or simply alter his game. When you try get a rise out of Ron Artest, that’s what happens. I feel bad for Harden and love his game. He did not deserve to get blindsided, but sometimes you need to realize who you’re talking to before you open your mouth.

Let me get this straight: Ron Artest gets suspended for 86 games for going into the stands and having a confrontation with a fan and he gets a SEVEN game suspension for hitting a player so hard that he receives a concussion? Add to that the fact that this player did nothing to him; add to that all of Peace’s previous violations. Hmmm, 86 games compared to 7 games? Something’s very wrong here.

Honestly i was expecting much more games supensions: Arround 15. try to hurt a player on a play is something! but intentionnally and violently elbow a guy away from the ball escpecially when there is no beef??? Artest have a very serious problem in his head. he really act like he have absolutely no brain! I heard him talking about boxing when he will retire from Basketball. My best advice for him is to retire now and do something that he really loves… Fighting. Personnally my appreciation for the Lakers dropped tremendously since the day they signed Artest.

Really think he should be out for the rest of the season. That was just an obscene foul and you really need to send a message to players that this type of dangerous action wont be allowed. The type of hit Artest put on Harden, an elbow to the back of the head behind the ear, is illegal in both MMA and boxing because of how dangerous it is. Now I know he didn’t mean for that exact hit but he felt another body, and swung right through it. That can’t be allowed for the safety of the NBA players.

Laker fan through and through. All I have to say is without the replay, that entire incident happened in a matter of a few seconds.
It sure does look bad on the replay. Yes indeed, nobody could argue. Sure did load up before contact, yup. But in reality, if the other player wasn’t there, would his physical actions and motion have looked the same?
Or let me put it another way, is Ron Artest trained in martial arts or fighting in a way that he could have anticipated and planned that hit to the player coming down the floor? I think not. I just honestly believe that when he says it was an accident while over celebrating in the heat of the moment, I believe it to be true. He couldn’t have known or planned that. Watch in real time people (no slow mo technology) but real time. Step by step in real time, watch and tell me that he planned that attack the way it is being blown up.

We’ll miss his presence on the court, and hope he takes a moment to think before coming down the court swinging arms in the future.

I bet James Harden is missing more than 7 games, I also bet if Metta Weird Peace wasn’t on the Lakers team he would have gotten more than 7 games. I guess the NBA can’t afford the Lakers not making it deep into the Playoffs, that would mean loss of revenue in Hollywood ticket sale. The NBA is a joke!!

I have been a huge NBA fan for the last couple a yrs.
I personally think that they should not have brought him over in exchange for Trevor Ariza. the guy was pretty good!
He should be on the bench to let Barnes start and make good plays like he always does. If I were coach Brown,
I would make him a bench warmer for the next few games after his suspension.

All the babies and little girls are still here crying? Get over it already! Do you see the players crying about it? No. They are out there playing the game, dishing out and taking elbows on a daily basis, getting ready for the real season to begin! Playoffs are coming!
So maybe you shouldn’t watch because things are heating up and it just might be to much for your rated G eyes to handle. What a joke. Go watch some Golf already!

I have been and always a die-hard Lakers fan and Metta has been one of my favorite lakers even though he appeared to be air-head sometimes. But from what happened it has shown that the air in his head is getting polluted. He should have renamed hist last name to “World War” instead of “World Peace” so that I do not have to be so disappointed because of the high expection coming along with his new name.

This is by no means a harsh enough penalty. Six games in the first round is really not punishment at all. He should have been banned for the rest of the playoffs. This punishment supports the idea that his act was not willfull which is absurd at best. Something is definitely wrong here. Ohh sorry! I forgot it’s the Lakers we are talking about.

I feel the need to make an objective balanced comment in the face of all the hypocrisy and hyperbole being thrown around this forum. Statements like he “clearly knew what he was doing” are absolutely false unless you possess the ability to read minds because the video only shows 2 things clearly (1) That he never looked in the direction of Harden and (2) that he felt someone was there when his arm was impeded by Harden’s shoulder on the way forward. He definitively was trying to clear space but I don’t think he was targeting the head. If he took even one glance at Harden and gave any clue that he intended to hit him in the head then the punishment should have and would have been much more severe. He is not the first person to use an elbow to clear space in the NBA and where the elbow landed should only be taken into consideration if that was the intended target. 7 Games is a fair ruling because it shows the severity of the negligence involved but also reflects the fact that he didn’t intentionally hit him in the head. It also shows that his past history both negative (in the past) and positive (in the more recent years) was taken into consideration. I think the article was on point though the phrase “Because NBA Commissioner David Stern could have dropped the hammer on World Peace this time and met with little resistance in the court of public opinion outside of Lakerland.” at the end of the 4th paragraph is not a sentence. I guess they don’t have spell check and proof readers on blogs.

all these comments about him deserving more punishment are ridiculous. harden got an elbow to the head. people are always taking elbows to the head in games, they just dont look as vicious and with intent as this was. ie: guarding dwight howard. harden wanted to return to the game in the 2nd half but they wouldnt let him. obviously to worsen mettas punishment. they were sucessful. everyone needs to stop ovverreacting , its honestly become pretty pathetic. 7 games is more than enough. 3 to 5 would have been the correct punishment for this situation (not letting harden return when he could have). hes fine.

This what i was thinking, Harden checked out fine and could have played the second half only to be denied to play. They had the camera on him and he even said he was fine. Not letting him play would certainly affect MWP suspension. Also i still don’t approve of MWP’s action, but i think 7 days is fine.

Physicality has always been a part of basketball. Obviously he was in the wrong, and it seemed more of a heat of the moment unconscious reaction than anything else. Bit seriously, for people protesting for a stiffer penalty, watch some Karl Malone ‘highlights’ and see what the worse penalty he got was despite his frequent violent nature.

I feel the need to make an objective balanced comment in the face of all the hypocrisy and hyperbole being thrown around this forum. Statements like he “clearly knew what he was doing” are absolutely false unless you possess the ability to read minds because the video only shows 2 things clearly:

Hey you Lakers haters, I dont believe you know the all truth behind that elbow, remember the game in Oklahoma when MWP got an technical and Harden cant stop talking and provoking, let me say this…Harden is a dirty provocator everytime he’s team is loosing he’s going to provoke, the same with the last play, he intentionaly goes one step to his left to provoke an impact with MWP and considering their history MWP blast him with an elbow which happens all the time in NBA. Harden wanted to be hit…but you gyus know when he’s coming back it will be more difficult for the Oklahoma and that reserve Harden. GO LAKERS.

As the first poster said, MWP got away easy with this 7-game suspension. As I’ve said before he should have been suspended for the remainder of the season and the play-offs all together. His act is just unacceptable. Hopefully the NBA deans of discipline will reconsider this suspension.

Wade made a hard foul on Kobe during a shot attempt and ADMITTED he intended to foul him hard but not injure him. No comparison to clearly elbowing someone in the head with force while the ball wasn’t even in play then denying it. LeBron didn’t elbow anyone in their head or they would been a coma or dead. A LOT of people throws elbows into the chest especially Kobe. I remember him elbowing that same RON ARTEST in his neck but nothing happened but Artest got kicked out.

If you elbow a guy like that on the street and found yourself in jail, it is because of two reasons.
You are too self righteous and feel that you should be in jail.
Or
You are just too dumb and slow to stay out of jail.

Side of the face for a clean knock out. Must have hurt like hell and rattled his brain pretty violently.
Harden would have died if he was able to stay standing for a few more of those.
But why would he purposely run into MWP? You saw his arms up in preparation for impact no?
Two wrongs in this case make for a…. knock out.

Sekou, your write up is a joke. So because MWP has been good the last couple years that should mean he receive good behavior pts towards him and not be judged as hard? So if a rapist haven’t done anything for a couple years and rapes again… he should not be judge as hard because he’s been good for a couple years? Stupid!!! What has the NBA come to…. What are they waiting for? That elbow was a deadly intentional blow, if it had hit Harden in the temple, it would’ve probably knocked him out and caused serious damage… i guess you’re waiting for someone to get killed with that kind of behavior before you take it more seriously. He should be judge on the severity of what the intent could’ve cause, not oh Harden seems to be OK so let’s just give him 7 games. BS!

in every blog i said he should get 5+ games suspension while some say he should be ban in nba or should miss whole playoff yada yada lol. very funny alot of people have so much to say but know so little. and then some say imagine if it happened in the street blah blah, guess what it was on court not on the street, why would you imagine it happening elsewhere lol.

It is all avout money. Always has and always will be. David stern needs money going into nba or his job and anybody elses in his shoes will be fired. Its simple. Money talks. Its all bout money. If u dont wanna watch another game of basketball, then shut up and get out of this blog page. I love basketball and will always watch my sports even if its not fair.

“Did they throw him out” “Do I have to fake this much longer?” “Man I’m selling this good, but my head hurts a little bit” “boom thrown out, Lemme goto the locker room for a bit and come back at half-time”

What Metta did was wrong but the guy was alright. This coming from a fan of the game. I don’t approve of what Artest did at all but it’s kinda of sickening to know Harden was perfectly fine and given that it was Artest, everything hit the fan.

I wouldn’t agree with a suspension so long if I thought for sure it was unintentional. Harden was in his peripheral vision and it kind of looks like his pupils went to the left and back forward right before the elbow. Or I could be seeing things. It’s very hard to tell. The fact that he gave such a blow to a skull and did not feel it makes me skeptical unless he admits he did drugs before the game. Once it was realized that he hit Harden he didn’t seem at all apologetic and even tried to fight another player. If he didn’t feel the body contact before this I have to wonder if he is made of steel. An ejection was definitely deserved. I wasn’t sure about a suspension especially for so many games because there’s no real way of telling if it was an accident or not. A foul is called if you accidentally clip someone in a game so of course an ejection was called for. I think his past really screwed him. We all look at him as a monster still just like someone who once commited a sex or hate crime.

Ron Artest definitely got ejected last playoffs for a hard foul. He wasn’t exactly an angel the last couple years. He was better though. He still has had many unnecessary fouls and has been looking to start fights with other players.

I can’t help but read all these comments where people say, “This is why I don’t watch the NBA anymore.” So let me get this straight, you don’t watch the NBA anymore because of dirty plays or fights? Because I have to wonder what era of basketball you did watch. The 1980’s/1990’s NBA culture was much more conducive to this type of behavior. Dennis Rodman anyone? Bill Lambeer? Charles Barkley? Kevin Mchale? I could go on and on. The fact is, the incidence of fighting in the NBA has drastically decreased over the decades, so if you must be an attention grabbing choir boy who is too good for the current state of the NBA to even watch games why in the heck are you reading blogs about the NBA on NBA.com?

I am a Basketball fan and have been for a long time. These elbows would get ejections back in the day yet now it is a call for a BAN. GET OVER IT, I feel the punishment was about right. I have seen many unsportsmanlike plays recently with intent, MWP seemed more like a reaction, albeit a very wrong one, then trying to start something. Until that point there was a lot of hard bumping going on in this game and the refs letting it go had a responsibility in this matter too. If the many people calling for MWP’s ban really want to clean up stuff like this I would have expected to see the same posts for KLove Wade Smith and a few others this season yet by the additional comments many of you are just showing its more of an anti LAL chant than anything else.

If you think it was unitentional, you need to actually watch the video of it. There was nothing unintentional about it. the thunder were planning on a full-court press and Harden was in his position for the play. Artest’s celebration took him close to Harden, whose wrist barely touched Artst’s shoulder (he was holding them up only for protection). Artest felt them, thenleaned back and threw the blatant elbow.

The kicker here is that Artest could have rightfully been called for delay of game or perhaps even a technical for his juvenile celebration, but the officials appeared to have no intention of doing that to the lakers.

Of course, we all know that if a small-market player did the same exact thing, the suspension would have been longer. Ron and the Lakers got off easy – very easy. The suspension should be four-fold; for every game Harden misses, Artest should miss four. That’s the only way to truly and accurately measure the gravity of Ron’s action.

Name one job other that you can get violent with a co worker and just get a suspention (and please don’t be stupid and mention contact sports like football there is a fine line between getting paid to hit someone and hitting someone when its not part of the game). FIRE PEOPLE LIKE THAT!

Amazing to read the sports writers worshiping at the athlete alter. You people forgive any horrible behavior, and even write that it should be forgiven because the guy can play a game well. He defended Kobe well, so we have to be OK with thuggery.

I think he should be fired from the nba, I seen something that he has been within the lines. he clothes lined j.j berea last year in the playoffs and now james harden. 7 games is no where near enough punishment for him. i have seen people in the past get more for less, denise rodman got more for kicking a camera man. but then again he was on the bulls not the lakers, i love kobe but not the lakers.

Come on Sekou…just imagine if someone elbowed another guy on the streets and gave him a concussion, that guy will be in no doubt be charged for CRIMINAL OFFENCE for violent act and causing serious damage to another person.
Now artest gets what? a 7 game suspension and it’s judged as ‘just right’??
This is a joke
Stern has to go onto the courts and play with Artest, get an elbow, and he’ll give the right punishment

He should be kicked out of the NBA and criminal charges should be pressed. I am sick of so called “Professional” athletics getting away with criminal act while on the job. If I did that to a co-worker, I would be fired on the spot, arrested, and sued. Why do this people live outside the rules of society, they are no better than anyone else. We all have the live by the law of the land, why don’t they? There is a big push on anti bullying and that is all he is; the NBA will do nothing because it will affect their bottom line. Good job NBA shows that being a bully is the way to go.

it wasn’t even that bad I don’t know why people are tripping. 7 games is good for that. People are saying god knows when hell be back. Last time I checked I’m pretty sure his listing was only day to day. I’ve seen far worse hits then that.

Wade should have been suspended too then for the hit on Byrant. How about all of Lebrons shoulder thrusts those could seriously hurt a player as well.

I looked at the game and saw how the lakers were happy about winning the game. How could you be happy when there
is a high probability that you won because metta had taken out your best bench player? So a team can send out its worst bench player and take out the other team’s star, until then the league officials will say we need to send a message now.

Guys look at this way. Why did Harden go near MWP? MWP was not even guarding he was celebrating, the fans were happy of what he has done. So why did Harden do it? MWP has issues but MWP should not be blamed because of his past. Both sides has done something wrong. Harden did not even talk about the issue? Where is Harden anyway? It makes me think that Harden did it intentionally. I am a NBA fan and I love NBA’s games.

To clear myself up. I think Metta should have been suspened for throwing a elbow, and for potential damage, but i think 7 is to much because of the other player envolved. If it was to a Lebron , Kobe , Nash, Durant, and Parker player than i would understand because they didnt build ther career on flopping. Its just hard for me to fully believe or feel bad for the Hardens, Manu’s, CP3’s, Blake Griffens, and Billups of the league.

Ron Artest should have been banned for the remainder of the season including the playoffs!! What he did was blatant and brutal! Artest will do this again… hes an animal that cant control himself like the rest of the players. Its one thing to be an aggressive, tough player and its another completely different thing to be an ANIMAL that cant reason to control himself in regards to violence. The NBA will face humiliation and possible law suits when this ANIMAL ends someones career. This will indeed cause the NBA to lose popularity and followers!

Artest is a mastermind after this incident. He took a page out of David Stern’s book. Where Stern acted irrationally and quoted “basketball reasons”, Artest did the same and quoted “celebrating”. It worked…

I also wanted to add that the more I read this article, the more I feel bad for MWP. I mean he even donated his ring and money to the mental health cause which indicates he means well, but that clip of this recent incident is just downright scary. Everyone makes mistakes, but those mistakes come with consequences, and to me, the suspension should of been longer.

I think someone who becomes violent under over excitement is a danger to others as he has proven many times, it is only a matter of time before he seriously injures someone else.

Someone like him, that showed no care whatsoever after the elbow and in his on words blames the incident to being over emotional and filled with excitement should not BE ALLOWED TO PLAY IN THE NBA THIS MAN IS CRAZY.

shutup sekou. youre a terrible writer. your posts are always garbage not to mention your a big time laker hater. anytime theres something that gos wrong with the lakers you are there to write about it. if they keep letting you post im gonna start visiting visiting espn.com instead like alot of other people that cant stand you. you bring the quality of this website down.

People wonder what about Metta World Peace and his mental stability, calling him an animal.
How can he be such an animal you ask?
His fight or flight response has been fine tuned to always fight. Those habits are hard to change.
Given the way Harden runs into him for some reason, Artest just decides to swing an elbow without regard for anything.

And so now people are here posting about whether or not a 7 game suspension is fair.
Apparently it is fair, otherwise the NBA would still not have handed out a ruling for this case yet.

Now look at the way people here are responding to each other. Animals. Metta World Peace is not the only one.
Be glad that no one is seriously injured and hope that Ron Artest can live as Metta World Peace.

I dont agree with the lenght of the suspension. I feel it was to harsh and his past played to much of a role in the final decision. By trying to make an example of Metta, and punishing him harsher than other players that had done essentialy the same thing this year such as Love’s head stomping (which i beleive is worst) basicaly sends the message of If you ever make a mistake in this league ther will never be any true redemtion. The Mallace at the Pallace was over eight years ago why is it still following him? Since than he has tried to fix his image more than any other player in the league, even to the extent of seeking professional help to aid him in controlling his emotions, why does this account for nothing?.
I think the bigger issue is the Flopping thats become custom in the NBA. Why are these players being rewarded and not punished. I understand the reffs cant catch everything and to the naked eye things may seem worst than the are, but why are games reviewed and punishment sent down accordingly. To many times I have seen Harden take phantom falls to the ground holding his face as if in excruciating pain or Manu, Paul, and Billups run into players and fall off balance to sell a call and its pathetic. Now am I saying we should go back to the to 80’s or early 90’s ball where players were knocking each other out the air and clotheslining each other? No, but these are grwon men not college or highschool players and they should be allowed to play as such without the worry of floppers like Harden acting like children on the court dropping on the slightest amount of contact.
I think the NBA really dropped the ball on this one, the internet is loaded with pictures of Harden peeking through as he rolled on the ground watching as things escalate, and him being cleared of a concussion by Lakers medial staff at the half, along with his more recent on court antics should have been taken into consideration when deciding Metta’s punishment. At some point the NBA has to make a stand against watered down play from the Hardens of the league.

Man you’re an idiot. You just seen Artest give an guy a concussion and you’re asking why his past is still following him? MORON! Ask yourself why he changed his name and tried to make it seem like he was really promoting the words on his back. People talk bad about what Bynum did, but at least the guy owned up to it and said “I was frustrated and acted out of anger, it was wrong”. Artest say’s he was “celebrating”. Give me friggin break!

Frankly, Metta got off cheaply. Apparently he can hit everything and everyone but not rock bottom – he delivers a serious blow to Harden, leaving him with a concussion (and God knows when he’ll be back on the court and playing like his old self again), and gets away with a 7-game-suspension? What’s worse, he is a repeat offender and gets credit for not having hit anyone in a few years? Seriously? Where’s the sense in that? If at all, he should be punished harsher for his past “injustices”. Well, what’s done is done; no turning back now, but I sure ain’t rooting for LA this year.

So if someone throws beer at your face, you are just going to smile? IF Ben Wallace shoves you to the scorers table you arent going to get angry? TOTAL BS i saw what happened back in Detroit… i saw the game live and in color, IT was the biggest East conference rivalry and there was already too much tension. ALL YOU HYPOCRITES would react the same way Artest did back in Detroit!!! If you guys cannot deal with this NBA nonsense…. then dont watch it, that simple!!! Artest doesnt give a rats bottom what you guys think and neither does Harden, so mind your own business and get on with your lowly lives…

+1! ron ron never initiated any trouble as far as i can remember he just reacted on what action was given to him, his reaction may have been over the top but in my opinion he was just defending himself. In basketball or in life generally if you show that you are weak or afraid people will take advantage of you and bully you again and again. He just showed Harden and all the NBA players that he is not the kind of dude that you can punk around…

I guess 13 suspensions totaling over 100 games is acceptable in the NBA. Ron Artest will keep being suspended and the NBA will still open their arms every time and let him back. Doesn’t matter that he’s physically hurt players, coaches, and fans.

Another example of how the NBA continues to allow behavior on the basketball court that would be considered criminal in the parking lot of every arena in the NBA. Artest has displayed this type criminal behavior throughout his career in the NBA, and only once been given the appropriate punishment. I for one am finished watching another NBA game. A league that allows Ron Artest to continue to earn a living causing physical harm to fellow players and fans alike has no real value system.

STFU. Im sick of all these ‘ I will never watch another game” threats fair weather fans throw out. Go watch dry Baseball where even in that sport player clear out the dugout to fight, or go watch Football where teams put bounties on players and deliver dirty hits that can end a career, or go watch Hockey that is well Hockey. The only difference in Basketball is the majority color of the players skin and if you believe the NBA are full of thugs than it dosent need you. How dare you hold it to a standard that no other sport is held to. Like i replied to another poster Get Over Yourself!!!!

First of all you don’t know what you are talking about. Look at the suspensions that happened to the coaches. If you know anything Coach Payton got suspended for 8 games which is equivalent to 41 games for basketball. Look at Albert Haynesworth when he kicked the Dallas Cowboys Center when he was on the ground. He got a 5 game suspension which is 1/3 of the season in basketball that is about 20 games. So next time think and know your stuff before you write about something you have no clue of.

Please… There were really on two choices here: 1) Suspend him until next season, or 2) Do what they did.

Why?

Anything beyond a first round suspension amounts to suspending him until next year because, without Metta, the Lakers’ chances of getting past OKC go from slim to none.

And for those who suggest the suspension should last for as long as Harden remains out,here are two interesting scenarios for you to ponder:

1) Harden returns for the first round. Metta will have served a one game suspension for that elbow.
2) Harden returns to face LA in the second round (sitting Harden against LA hurts OKC far more than sitting Metta hurts LA). Metta could have potential served only a 5 game suspension (last game of the regular season and an eminently possible sweep of Denver).

Neither of these scenarios could result in a harsher sentence (even if the first round miraculously goes 7, Metta will only have served 1 more game than the current sentence). The only way Metta could serve significantly more time is if Harden is unable to play until at least the Conference Finals. If you believe this is a possibility, you are either underestimating Harden’s value to OKC, his desire to play, or his toughness. Remember that Kobe played with a concussion after the All Star game and those games were far less meaningful than the playoffs.

A 7-game suspension is a joke! If he had done this in public, he would be in JAIL! 7-days in jail would have been better. If you truly want to stop this type of action, truly take action. After all, this “world peace” dude has a track record. As with the law, his previous acts should have been taken into consideration and he should have been removed for the remainder of the basketball season, at minimum. It’s stuff like this that keeps me from really being a fan of basketball. Someone called Artest a thug, but I heard someone in the sports media say that stuff like this happens all the time in Hockey, but because Artest is black he’s called a thug. Wrong. Hard hits and checks are part of the game of hockey. Fighting is and has always been a part of the game of hockey, whether you agree with it or not. If you want to make fighting part of basketball, then do it and let them go at it. But until that’s done, stop the stupid comparison. Artest is just another Rodman. Some people can’t handle their emotions, and as long as it goes unaddressed (7-game suspension), nothing will change. This suspension only hurt his team, I guarantee you Artest will not even blink at this. Proof is that his, so called, apology was to a team and fans, but not the person he hit. Wake up NBA! Wake up, Roger!

Artest and Bryant should be sharing a jail cell. David Stearn should be ashamed of himself. Just think of the media exposure this creates for the LA thug machine and the NBA. I’m sure that had alot to do with letting Artest join in the play offs.$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Well thought article Sekou. The suspension could have been longer but it seems fair enough at the moment. The issue now lies in Harden as he could miss a considerable amount of playoff games if he shows any concussion symptoms. It’ll change everything if Harden were to be sidelined for more than 7 games. Perhaps unlikely but quite possible considering K.Love’s recent concussion. Hoping for a quick return for Harden.

The NBA is a joke! I used to be a proud fan and even take my young son to watch some of the games. That has change, what it the point in exposing my song to a bunch of over-paid thugs working for a money-hungry company?
I hope no one gets hurt during one of these thugs “celebrations”!

Ya but what if Harden is ready for Game 1 of the playoffs? Then Artest gets suspended for 1 game (and it wouldnt even be playoff game). Imagine the criticism for the league then. That is why what happens to the other player should be taken into consideration when determining suspension, but should not be the driving force.

With their big fat salaries, these players should be able to hit any player they want on the court, especially the superstars like Lebron and Kobe, that way, these super players will think twice before leaping so high for their spectacular dunks. That will surely make the NBA look like a grade school basketball league dominated by bullies like Ron Artest. The NBA might even allow a bounty system where a player gets monetary incentive for taking out or permanently injuring another player. A bigger bounty for crippling the superstars, of course. Then the NBA could have a new award for the best hitter in the league with Ron Artest a.k.a Ron Artest getting the first trophy.

He should have been done for the year. What, you get points for being good so you can do something like this and get a lighter penalty? I used to go to 10 to 15 games a year and it is now about 3. Stuff like this just turns me off more and more. They didn’t want to make the punishment worse because it might hurt the almighty Lakers in the playoffs. Maybe the Lakers should step up and discipline their player also, they hired the time bomb.

Are you serious? I call b.s on the 10-15 games a year claim but thats neither hear or ther. Things of this nature rarley happens in the league so get over yourself and stop doin a Harden and exaggerating every little thing that happens. The claims of the league trying to help the almighty Lakers is laughable. Metta was given the stiffest punishment on any player since Bynum of last year. If the league wanted to help the Lakers the CBA would be alot different and CP3 would be in purple and gold. Get over yourself and your false claims.

I had no idea you can exaggerate a concussion… while you’re at it, Al Horford needs to stop exagerrating about his torn left pectoral muscle too right? Greg Oden needs to stop exaggerating about his right knee surgeries too right? Get over yourself and realize that a player, who in the past commited a “rare” accident in Detroit and over 10 other violent acts, has struck again.

I agree with the punishment, HOWEVER I hope that this is the last incident concerning Ron Artest. He has no self control and someone can seriously get hurt out on the court. Anyway it is time to move on, he was wrong, he apologized, so hey how about them playoffs?!?!

Well said Sekou, but I still believe 7 games is not enough. At least I believe he should not play until next season. I mean every time I see that clip of him elbowing Harden, I cringe and cant help but to think that this incident is particular is as serious as it can get in the NBA. He got off easy in my opinion!

What MWP has done is, in my opinion, a criminal act but he was lucky because it is within the definition and protection of a basketball game. I feel sorry for the victim (Haden). He has done nothing to deserve it and it is not known whether the injury will cause a long term physical/mental damge. Haden is a young player who has shown good progress/performance and is likely to have a promising career.

I was a long time Ron Artest fan but I am really disappointed to see what has done………….. again and again.

You couldnt be more wrong. Harden has put himself in this positiion. He definitely got a good hit. Granted.
If your playing any sport, some guys are angrier than others. You know this. You dont just try and run at em, cause you dont know what they will do. Harden took this chance.

You run at a guy while he is celelbrating, hes bigger and stronger than you,and he has a temper – now, knowing that, you still going to try and get under his skin? Harden did. bad luck for Harden imo.